1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to circuit breakers and more particularly to circuit breakers for industrial power circuits with 10,000 amp interrupting capacity and 240 V ratings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Circuit breakers must carry normal load currents without overheating and must open overload and short circuit currents repetitively without serious damage to its contacts and other internal components that can be caused by arcing. Increasing load requirements have placed a greater burden on circuit breaker designers to develop more effective circuit breakers which can interrupt higher overload and short circuit currents repetitively and yet maintain minimal size requirements and low cost construction. Although it is old to apply an arc shield to extinguish arcs, higher interrupting requirements of circuit breakers has made the more conventional type de-ion arc plates and other conventional shielding designs ineffective in extinguishing the arc and protecting the other breaker components.